AUSTIN — Pastor Bruce Smith’s funny sermon-starter went over vastly better in second service than in first.

The cute illustration, involving a child who mis-read a Bible verse as “be ye one another’s burdens,” caused only scattered chuckles in first service. Smith’s face pinked up and he moved on to his sermon.

But in second service the audience responded with a roar of laughter.

“I think I told it with a little more oomph,” he said later, resting in his office. “I had my rhythm in second service. It’s hard to nail a joke the first time out.”

The appreciative response was “really gratifying,” he said. He believes the joke will “hit the eight-o’clockers later in the day.” •